The Feast of Dedications
Joseph Farah Explains Why Christians Should Celebrate, As Did Jesus
Hanukkah (Chanukah) starts on the Hebrew calendar date of 25 Kislev, and lasts for eight days. The coinciding secular dates for this year: December 8-16, 2012
Joseph Farah, WND — Did you know Jesus, or Yeshua as He was known throughout His life, celebrated Hanukkah?During His earthly ministry, Hanukkah was known as the feast of dedication. In fact, it is still known as the feast of dedication today – that’s what Hanukkah means.
Yet, most followers of Jesus today think of Hanukkah as only a Jewish holiday – not something they necessarily should observe.
I have even heard Christians say Hanukkah is an extra-biblical festival – and not mentioned in the Bible. Next time you hear that, just point to John 10:22-23. Ironically, as a new teaching by Jonathan Cahn, author of “The Harbinger,” points out, Hanukkah is not specifically mentioned in the Old Testament, only in the New Testament. That’s because the historical events associated with it took place between the close of the Old Testament and the time of Jesus. There is, however, a clear allusion to Hanukkah in the Book of Daniel, when he is told about the Abomination of Desolation. That happened in the apocryphal Book of Maccabees – and it will happen again before Jesus returns.I say, if Hanukkah was worth Yeshua’s attention, it is worth mine. It’s also an inspirational story worth the time of all people who believe in freedom.
So here’s a quick lesson on Hanukkah:
The Syrian ruler, Antiochus IV, or Antiochus Epiphanies, was a tyrant – a madman, a Hitler archetype, a foreshadowing of the Antichrist to come. He sought to suppress all the Jewish laws. Thousands of Jews were killed.
All Jewish worship was forbidden. The scrolls were confiscated and burned. Honoring the Sabbath, circumcision and the dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death. Antiochus conspired to depose and later assassinate the righteous high priest, Yochanan. Antiochus’ henchmen ordered 90-year-old rabbi Eliezer to eat pork as an example to his followers. He refused and was put to death.
He defiled the Temple by erecting statues of pagan Greek gods and sacrificing a pig on the altar.
In a plot to undermine the strength of the Jewish family and morality, Antiochus decreed that any Jewish maiden who was to be married had to first spend the night with the local governor or commander. » Read More
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About the Author
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. He is the author or co-author of 13 books, including his latest, "The Tea Party Manifesto," and his classic, "Taking America Back," now in its third edition and 14th printing. Farah is the former editor of the legendary Sacramento Union and other major-market dailies.